A Death Knight's Story
by dharak
Summary: A story about a Death Knight breaking free of the Lich King's chain. While seeking a new path in life, she encounters a friend whom she parted bitterly with years before. Now for Atlanta to prove that she is free, she must help her former friend infiltrate and defeat a Scourge outpost. COMPLETE (and my most viewed fic ever.)
1. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. All property besides OC's in this story is copyright of Blizzard.**

I used to have a different life. I was a fierce warrior who took great pride in her class-in cutting though enemies with steel, downing her enemies on the battlefield. I fought loyally through the world's trials, answering the call to enter the Dark Portal and brave Outland.

During my childhood, I had a friend. Emala Longstalker. But when it came time for us to decide on our chosen paths, the issues began. Emala didn't like to fight hand to hand, and it is doubtful she's changed her mind. In addition, she loved working with animals. She made the decision to become a hunter.

I chose the path of a warrior. I suppose that really shouldn't have made a difference in our friendship. If anything, it should have made it better, because a warrior and a ranged fighter working together is often a good combination. Much to my regret, that is not what happened. Instead, we started to fight as opinions formed and the differences in our personalities were drawn to light. We both left Mulgore for the first time and then separated, not even looking back. Although it is certain to me that Emala went to Outland, I'm sure she did her best to avoid me-and I her.

Perhaps if I hadn't done that, but tried to repair the bond we once had, I wouldn't have suffered in Northrend. I'm certain she was there too. The one thing that had remained mutual between us was that we both were loyal to the Horde, and would obey the call to arms.

I went there, expecting several things-undead, cold tundra, dragons, ruined kingdoms and shadows. And the Lich King. The one thing everyone knew for certain was that he was there, waiting at the frozen throne at the roof of the world.

I expected it to be like Outland. I thought that if I had waded through hordes of damn demons, I could handle the undead the same way. At first, that was how it went. I defeated undead after undead, fighting beside the other warriors of both Alliance and Horde that I had been told to work with. Until that fateful hour when I foolishly wandered away from the line, stranding myself away from any form of aid. Then they came, waves of Nerubians, zombis and ghouls. I fought and fought, determinedly fighting for my life. My sword was everywhere, cutting through limbs, chests, necks. The undead wailed harshly as they fell, only for more to arrive in their place. It seemed like it went on for hours, and it probably did, as the fight began at noon, and by then, the sky was darkening.

Then came the point where I couldn't fight anymore. Exhausted, I hardly registered it when I fell heavily onto my side, my sword slipping from my numb fingers. Or a blade sliding into my side, piercing my heart.

I awoke to cold, the kind that went deeper than physical sense. It chilled the spirit too, clenching my _mind within cold claws. _

_Where was I?_

_Wasn't I supposed to be dead?_

_Why couldn't I remember anything?_

Those three simple questions resonated in my head like echoes in a cave, my sight black and dark. Then a light came-a frosty, cold light that didn't seemed both malicious and inviting at the same time. Inexplicably, I was drawn to it.

It was as if I was clawing my way out of deep, black water, coming back from another world. I didn't know then that I had, indeed, been thrust into another reality, in my mind.

The voice was heard first.

_Rise, my loyal knight. _

I blinked. My sight realigned. I beheld a dark, cavernous hall. Signs of the dead, skulls and skeletons and ghostly fire, bedecked it. Shadows clung to them, creating a ghastly pattern of details, making the bones look alive. The space seemed to ring with voices, howling and screeching in their torment.

Something in me shifted. Something changed. I knew a part of me was gone forever, and it was never coming back.

My eyes went to the imposing figure that stood above me in his cape and dark spiked armor, holding the enormous runeblade Frostmorne parallel to the ground. Glowing blue eyes, casting off blue trails of mist, gazed down at me from the eye holes of the spiked helm. The only emotion in them was cold cruelty, devoid of anything else.

I hadn't realized it, but at some point I had stood. I now knelt, humbly bowing my head. Any voice that decreed otherwise was silenced, muted by the insistent mental whispering of the Lich King.

I knew that he was now my master, the one who commanded me. I was one of his most valuable assets, a weapon of the Scourge.

I was to do his bidding.

The next few days passed in a blur, of blood, frost, riding through the Plaguelands on the undead gryphon I had learned to summon. The long black claws dug into the earth of the plagued environment. I had been given a set of orders-simple in concept, but not in morals. At the moment, I had no morals...

I arrived, reining the dark horse to a halt. My cold gaze swept over New Hearthglen, already spatially razed by the Scourge forces sent ahead of me and the other Death Knights. I dismounted the horse, allowing it to fade back into the realm of shadow it had come from until I wanted it again. Then I unsheathed my runeblade, swinging it leisurely at my side and I stalked forward. I began to cut down the denizens of Hearthglen. I felt no remorse-i did not falter, did not even think of what I was doing.

Until I came across a baby. A helpless thing, the mother already dead with her arms frozen around the youngling as if to leave it one last shred of protection. Something in me, a innate ideal that the Lich King had attempted to bury, arose. I knew by instinct that at some point in my life, I had sworn never to kill another sentient being that couldn't fight back.

Especially a baby.

Just like that, a flow of memories was triggered. I remembered Mulgore, my parents and their deaths fighting in the ever constant war between the largest two factions. I remembered my childhood friend, how she tried to be as comforting as possible even though she was never the best at it. I remembered that fateful fight, and then Outland. I felt a cold claw clentch around my now silent heart as I realized just how badly my huge amount of pride had affected me.

I felt the chains break, and one last echoing howl as control was lost.

I knew without thinking that I would be killed, or captured in a attempt to brainwash me again. I made a split second decision. I drew forth my gryphon from the realm of shadows, the undead creature appearing in the fraction of a second. I scooped up the baby and took off, fleeing as long and as far as I could.

The last thing I wanted was torture-or re rehabilitation into the Lich King's ruthless ways.

Once I was well past the border of the Plaguelands, I dropped the child off at the doorstep of a farmer's house. I threw a rock at the door from a distance. I saw the gleam of light as the door opened and the outline of a woman as she picked the child up. I was gone the next instant.

I was never entirely sure why I had done that. The chances I would ever see the baby again were so mediocre they were nonexistent. On top of that, I would no doubt fight and kill plenty of other humans for various reasons. I supposed I had doe it to put my mind at rest, as a small compensation for the pointless murder I had down in New Hearthglen.

My next course of action was unclear, but I knew one thing. I would need a guise. I would end up sentencing myself to traveling on foot in a hooded cloak for the majority of the time, but it would be worth it.

The other unspoken and certain goal: locating a new place for me in the world.


	2. Surprise at Agmar's Hammer

**Disclaimer - World of Warcraft is property of Blizzard Entertainment. **

The cold wind of Northrend howled past me and across the wastes of Dragonblight as I rode to Agmar's Hammer.

It had been several weeks since I had fled the Plaguelands. I hadn't felt the Lich King's presence since then, but I still couldn't travel openly near any kind of outpost, whether it was Horde of Alliance. Death Knights were still feared-it wouldn't do to get myself killed. I doubted I would get a chance to walk the realm of the living a second time.

So far I had been wearing a rough black cloak with a hood every time I came near Agmar's Hammer or any other outpost. I had managed to keep my eyes out of sight by bowing my head, so that the rim of the hood covered them. With this arrangement, I had been passing quite well as a warrior.

No one had questioned. As far as they were concerned, I was just a very withdrawn warrior. That suited me fine.

Before I came within visible distance of Agmar's Hammer, I stopped my skeletal gryphon. Sending Bonesunder back into the realm of shadows, I proceeded to walk the next twenty minutes it took to get to my destination.

I was there within acceptable time. I walked briskly through the gates, head still down. None of the guards or passerby spared me a glance. They had all seen me already, and had far more pressing matters to worry about roaming in the unforgiving tundra around them.

After I reported a successful strike against the nearby Nerubians, I stood by the bonfire in the center of Agmar's Hammer, staring into the flames. I was allowing my mind to wander when I felt a sudden unsettlement.

Peeking from beneath the rim of my hood, I saw a company of two entering Agmar's Hammer. Two I didn't recognize, but the fourth drove a pang through me, along with the old flicker of anger.

Emala looked far more worn than the last time I had seen her. She appeared forty but seemed older, with a long scar on her lower jaw and another on her arm. It was long and white against her black fur, running down the upper arm to her elbow. Her green eyes were still fiery like I remembered, but they were filled with traces of sadness and suffering.

Pierceclaw was next to her. The raptor had changed too. His hide was battle marked, and he sniffed the air constantly and warily, looking out for his master. He only faintly reminded me of the playful raptor he had been before he and Emala left to journey into the wilderness of the world.

With my scrutiny of my former friends done, I inspected the two who had entered with them. Both were males, one a young troll with wild red hair, aqua blue skin, slate gray eyes and a perpetual grin. He looked around twenty. He wore robes and carried a staff, both of which identified him as a mage. I allowed a moment of wonder at the troll's eye color. I'd never seen a gray eyed troll, and from what I knew of the race it was a very rare eye color.

The other was a blood elf in black leather armor. He had long black hair and glowing blue eyes. Something about him made me think he wasn't actually a elf, but I didn't dare come closer to inspect.

I let out a long breath. This was going to change everything.

**I know that this chapter is short, but it's main purpose was to give the story an update and get my muse into this fic. The next chapter will be longer. **

**If any of you read my fic Adventures Abound, Lastraza, Imyra and Stormwing haven't joined the group yet. Imyra starts to travel with her sister in the beginning of Cataclysm, and Stormwing at the end of Adventures Abound. Lastraza will join the group in this fic. **

**Please review :D**

**~dharak**


	3. Past and present

**Disclaimer- i do not own World of Warcraft, Blizzard Ent. does. would be pretty rich if i did :)**

The old anger was back faster than I ever thought it would be. I nearly took a step forward before I stopped. Reining in my fury, I ducked my head low again. All the while I kept my eyes fixed on Emala.

She had stopped walking very suddenly. She panned her green eyed gaze across the entire premise of Agmar's Hammer. She stoically ignored the blood elf as he took a step back after running into her, saying something in a indignant voice. Emala said something back in a heavily caustic tone. The troll tried to come to his friend's defense, only for the entire thing to escalate into a three way shouting match.

The verbal skirmish continued for a minute or two. However, it became rapidly obvious that despite the bickering, the three could make amends very quickly. Mainly, this seemed due to the fact that the elf and the troll laughed, while Emala rolled her eyes. I saw her cast one last careful glance about. I felt her eyes linger on me.

I tensed, casting my gaze downward once again, hoping that she hadn't seen. I wasn't in the state of mind to confront her.

When I looked up again, Emala and her companions had disappeared into the command hub of Agmar's Hammer. I dropped my shoulders, relieved.

At least momentarily.

The presence of a former friend I had parted with bitterly years ago was producing mixed feelings. Some more sentimental part of me still cared deeply about Emala. The other didn't want to give a damn about her and was raging silent curses along with that. It was confusing, and I disliked it.

I spent a bit more time just standing there. Then I made a instant decision to leave. I'd already helped Agmar's Hammer plenty; there wasn't anything left for me to do, and I had told the commander I was leaving earlier anyway. I walked rapidly from the bonfire, and in no time was heading steadily up the path away from the outpost.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I was being cowardly. The better thing to do would have been confronting Emala, trying to put my bitterness with her to rest. Instead I was running away from my problems. Once mounted on Bonesunder, I was fleeing by air.

Little did I know that running wasn't going to do me any good.

(Flashback)

_Normally, the night sky over Mulgore was one of the most scenic sights of Kalimdor. Tonight, however, the sky was obscured by roiling gray clouds. Although the storm they heralded hadn't started yet, brief flickers of lightning were fast becoming a regular occurrence. Anyone with sense was sheltering in the sturdy buildings of the village. _

_The sky was the perfect mirror of the current attitudes of two female tauren, returning to Bloodhoof Village from a less than successful hunting trip. Emala's black fur and Atlanta's white pelt were smeared with mud and grass. They were pointedly avoiding each other's gaze, tension thickening the air between them. _

_It began to rain just as the pair reached a hut stocked with hunting supplies. Emala stomped in first. Tossing a bow and quiver of arrows carelessly to the floor, she turned a bitter gaze on Atlanta. _

_The warrior stared back with narrowed brown eyes, arms crossed. She too had thrown down her weapon. It only took a brief few moments of staring to bring out the worst of words. _

"_What the hell were you thinking out there?" Emala said in a low snarl, tinted with deliberate hurt. "Charging at that plainstrider like that? All you accomplished was scaring it away."_

_Atlanta glared at the other tauren. Over the past few months, disagreements were becoming more and more frequent. At this point, it was hard for either to imagine that they had ever been friends. _

"_I got impatient," the warrior responded, her rising agitation plain in her voice. "The storm was rolling in. there wasn't time for your cowardly ambush!"_

_A clap of thunder sounded, the noise seeming to trigger the flare of anger and hurt in Emala's green eyes. She strode forward to the point were she was nose to nose with Atlanta. Her eyes looked even more furious up close, and the pain of Atlanta's accusation could be seen swirling in their depths. _

"_I am no coward," she hissed, drawing the words out long and low. "I'm intelligent-something you obviously lack!"_

"_Now you're calling me stupid?" Atlanta shouted, her body tensing in anger. "I'm no idiot! It's a good thing we're both leaving Mulgore tomorrow. I hope I never see you again!"_

"_Same here," Emala spat back, the intense venom in her voice as poisonous as one of her venomous arrows. She stormed out of the hut to return to her own home, but not before turning and casting one last baleful glare at her former friend. "Good luck," she said sarcastically. "When you're stubborn pride kills you, remember my words."_

"_That's never going to happen," Atlanta snapped back."Bye."_

"_Goodbye," Emala snarled back. "Forever." _

_With that, she left. The wind snapped the wooden door shut instantly, leaving Atlanta in the dimly lit building. She sat down against the door and drew her knees up. Resting her head on her knees, Atlanta nursed her festering wounds. _

_(end flashback)_

I was flying over the Dragon Wastes when I heard the rhythmic flapping of wings. The beats sounded large, powerful. Certainly not the wings of anything Bonesunder's size.

They sounded like drake wings.

Twisting in the saddle, I held onto my mount's reigns with one hand and drew my runeblade with the other. The cold wind instantly yanked my hood off, the icy sting of Northrend piercing past my fur.

At first I was half convinced I had imagined the wingbeats. They seemed to be gone now, and I didn't see anything the size of a drake. But the clouds that surrounded me now were low and heavy, weighed down with their loads of arctic precipitation.

Then there was a high whistle as a blur of blue plunged from above. Bonesunder bucked and shrieked, lashing out with his wicked claws as light blue paws snagged him and yanked him down, spinning. I had to lean back to avoid the drake's black talons as he slashed at me. A burst of blue fire just missed me and hit Bonesunder, knocking him firmly from the air.

The skeletal gryphon crashed to the ground, spilling me from his back. He scrambled to his feet and cawed irritably, clawing groves in the snow of the Dragon Wastes. I regained my footing and stood up, drawing my runeblade.

My attacker came spiraling neatly down from the sky. I had to stare for a moment to remember what he was.

_A netherwing. I didn't think one would leave Outland. _

And yet here he was. The drake was a dark azure blue everywhere except for the spurless, translucent wing membrane, his eyes, horns and paws. All of these were a stunning, light neon blue.

I didn't realize until the drake landed that I had three riders. The same ones I had seen at Agmar's Hammer. The only one I didn't see was the blood elf, but I had begun to have a suspicion that the elf had been the drake all along.

One of the riders was the ted haired troll. The other was Emala's red raptor, Pierceclaw. And the third was Emala herself.

_Damn her intuitiveness, _I thought, gritting my teeth.

The three had already dismounted. I was already trying to think of away out of this mess. I was obviously outnumbered. If it had just been Emala, her pet and the troll, I may have been able to take them on with Bonesunder's help. The drake looked on the slim side, like he had been made for aerial fighting. I could see him panting slightly from carrying three passengers. Despite the netherwing's slim build, though, he was still three times Bonesunder's size. We were definitely outnumbered and outmatched. Flying away didn't seem like a good idea, considering how fast the drake could probably fly, even with passengers.

Bonesunder cawed again. He lunged forward, only for me to grab his reigns and yank him back. "Stay here," I said in a low undertone. "Not yet."

So far, Emala hadn't moved. She was just standing with her other friends, a burning gaze fixed on me. There was a swirl of different emotions in there, things I had no trouble discerning. The most prominent was anger, but there was also confusion, some tiny traces of hurt.

I blinked. _Did I see a flicker of guilt?_

Whatever it was, the emotion was gone before I could identify it. Emala took some long steps toward me, green eyes narrow.

The troll, raptor and netherwing moved to attack, only to stop when Emala spoke one sentence.

"No. This is between me and her."

I met her gaze with a proud stare, tilting my head up. "Long time no see, Em."

She stiffened. The childhood nickname was one her sister, Imyra, had come up with. I had called her that too-but not in the last tense months when we saw each other last.

Emala spoke in a growl. "Same here." Her glare intensified. "What were you doing in Agmar's Hammer? Trying to undermine it for the Lich King?"

The name pricked my skin like a wreath of thorns. My reply was a measured one, made of of only a few words. "No. I don't serve him."

A sneer graced Emala's features. "You're obviously a Death Knight now. And they serve the Lich King."

"Or," I replied bitterly, "I've broken free, and am telling the truth."

Emala mouth twisted in a equally bitter smile, one with no warmth in it. Faster than I though possible, she drew a wicked looking spiked longbow and fired a flaming arrow at me.

I released Bonesunder's reins and let him charge forward in a storm of claw and wings. Then I jumped aside, letting the arrow pierce the snow and splutter. Then the projectile exploded, showering me with smoke and ashy slush. Three more arrows sparking with arcane energy flew at me. I swung my runeblade in a fast arch, cutting the first two arrows in half and rendering them useless. I had to dodge the third one.

Bonesunder had reached Emala by now. My faithful mount reared up and lashed at her with his wicked, curved claws. She swiftly back-stepped, letting the undead gryphon's claws slice through empty air, missing only by a hair's length. Bonesunder didn't get a chance to try again, as he found himself barraged by frostfire bolts. He squawked and backpedaled slightly, only for the netherwing to pounce on him. The troll-revealed as a mage now-continued to fire spells at him while the drake and Bonesunder writhed in a screeching, roaring ball, tossing up sprays of snow.

Me and Emala continued our hatred charged dance. I would dodge, she would fire. I would lunge forward and try to make contact with my runeblade, and she would duck below it, jump back, or use the metal longbow to block.

Eventually, I broke the cycle. I stood still as Emala fired arrows at me. When one passed close enough, I feinted a hit and pretended to fall to my knees.

Perhaps Emala was blinded by rage. It certainly seemed that way to me – I had never known her to fall for such a simple trap. She came somewhat closer, aiming for a killing strike with her longbow.

Fast as lightning I stood, swinging my runeblade and knocking her bow away. I rotated the weapon and plunged it at her chest. I wasn't sure what I was aiming for, whether I wanted to kill her or simply gore her.

Either way, it didn't matter. Emala, still just as fast a thinker as ever, drew two one handed swords form her sides and sidestepped. My strike went into empty air. When I tried to target her with a downward cleave, Emala crossed her blades and stopped my runeblade short.

A tense standoff was initiated between me and my former friend. Close by, I could hear that the netherwing drake and the mage had won out over Bonesunder. He had no doubt phased into his own shadowy dimension by now, to injured to continue to fight. He would heal-but not in time to keep me from becoming severely outnumbered.

For all I knew, my time of dying (for a second time) was near. And this time, I probably wouldn't be coming back.

**I know that the update took a long time-but my update times are going to be a few weeks (1-4 weeks) for the summer and probably for the rest of my fanfiction career. I'm more busy now, especially during the summer. I also want to allow more time to increase the quality of my literary work :P**

**Please give me reviews and tell me how I did. I crave both (especially for reviews) :D **


	4. Mission

**Disclaimer:World of Warcraft is not mine.**

What a uniquely terrifying situation I was in.

To die a second time-from one I had used to call friend. Or to live, and deal with her hate and bitterness.

Emala and I continued to stare each other down. Then she abruptly stepped back, tucking the two blades into their sheaths.

I made no move to attack, even though my better judgment was demanding otherwise. I did, however, remain on the defensive, keeping my runeblade held before me.

"Why?" I asked simply.

Emala hardly reacted beyond her gaze becoming sharper. "If you want to redeem yourself in my eyes, you need to prove it. We've been told to infiltrate a enemy camp of the Lich King's forces. You come with us, and depending on how well you fight other Scourge spawn, I'll believe you."

Scourge spawn. It sounded so derogatory and insulting to me that all I could grind out a single word answer. "Fine."

Pierceclaw growled at me. "Shut up, raptor," I snapped in reply.

I had nearly forgotten about the troll and the netherwing, who had been watching the entire exchange of words with considerable awkwardness. Now, however, the troll mage made himself known. "Ah..do you know each other?" he asked hesitantly, gray eyes flitting between me and Emala.

"In a way, Zalleen," Emala replied scathingly. Obviously her temperament hadn't changed much. "And it has nothing to do with you."

Zalleen raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Damn, you two sure have issues. Relax, didn't mean to pry."

Emala snorted like she didn't quite believe him. Even I, who had only been in Zalleen's presence for a few minutes, could sense his impish personality. Since imps tend to be irresistibly curious, I shared at least some of Emala's feelings on this matter. The netherwing exchanged a glance with the mage and gave him a sly, toothy smile.

_Those two are going to pry at this matter until they find the truth. They'll probably be willing to go to hell and back for the answer. _

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

I wasn't disappointed. During the two day journey to the Scourge base camp, the netherwing drake-whose name I learned was Skydive-and the mage Zalleen did their best to subtly withdraw information form Emala. All they accomplished was grating on Emala's nerves. Finally figuring out they would get nothing from her, it was inevitable that they would turn their interrogation to me.

As it was, my inner feelings were in turmoil. I still felt a burning hatred against Emala, and wanted to leave her to deal with the camp out of spite. But at the same time, I wanted to help her, and didn't want to see her die.

Had I forgiven Emala? Had I not forgiven her? Was I going along with this just to prove to her that I wasn't with the Lich King anymore?

It was too many questions-questions I didn't have a real answer to.

"Hey! Can we ask you something?"

I glanced sideways and narrowed my eyes in a hostile squint. Rather than being put off, Zalleen maintained his enthusiastic smirk and just leaned closer. I stayed silent.

The mage took that as a sign to keep talking, which was plainly my fault, as much as I didn't like to admit it. "There's some bad blood between you and Emala, but that doesn't mean you can't...you know."

"Tell us what's up between you two," Skydive finished for him. At some point he had begun to walk on my other side, probably during my pondering. His eye ridges were raised in a placating manner, obviously trying to tempt me into talking.

I ignored the both of them continued to walk. Zalleen opened his mouth to try and speak again, only for Emala to sharply rebuke him.

"Quiet!" she hissed. "Something's watching us."

Rather than question how she knew that, both Zalleen and Skydive instantly went silent. Instinctively my hand hovered over the hilt of my weapon.

A few moments of silence passed before we heard the noise Emala had-a shadow, streaking across the snow before angling out of sight. One thing was clear from it-the silhouette was too big for a bird. We all slowly looked up.

"It's not a frostbrood drake after all," Emala muttered. "I've gotten to paranoid..."

Indeed, it was not a undead drake circling above us, but a living one. It looked female from the body and short horns, swathed in glittering ruby scales. The drake wore a pair of silver bracers around it's forelegs, each set with one green emerald. Tan membrane was stretched between the spurs of her wings, slightly nicked and dusted with white from snow. The red drake was tilting her head from side to side, studying us with yellow eyes. She looked cautious, but curiosity glinted in her eyes even as the slitted pupils dilated.

Then she plunged into a dive, directly down at us.

**I apologize for the crappy length...I've been very busy with summer activities, and haven't really gotten around to it. I should have more free time starting next week :D**

**~dharak**


	5. wild hunt

**Disclaimer: World of Warcraft is not mine.**

**If any of you are wondering why they aren't flying, Skydive doesn't have the stamina to carry four riders...**

The red drake didn't come any nearer, but did speak. The tone was neutral and from it, we could clearly tell that first impressions were correct-the drake was indeed female. The question she asked was one I was more or less expecting.

"Are you escorting that Death Knight as your prisoner?"

Emala answered immediately, but it wasn't the response that the drake was looking for. "We're giving her a chance to prove her freedom by helping us to infiltrate and destroy a Scourge camp."

The drake stopped, hovered, and stared in disbelief. "She says she's free of the Lich King?"

"Apparently," Emala answered coolly. "I'll be seeing if she's truthful soon enough."

"How about you land and talk to us?" Skydive asked, craning his neck to look up at the red drake. She looked curiously upon his translucent wings and sharklike features, before apparently deciding to land as he asked.

"Hello," Zalleen said brightly as the drake alight smoothly on the snow. "What's your name?"

The red drake cocked her head, a gesture incredibly avian in resemblance. "Lastraza."

Zalleen whistled appreciatively. "Nice name."

Lastraza's eye ridges crept up in slight wonderment. Perhaps it was from having such a friendly conversation with a mortal for the first time. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Zalleen said back, his smile still in place.

"Hold up," Emala said suddenly, taking a step forward. "Aren't all the other dragonflights fighting the Blue Flight right now? What are you doing out here all alone?"

Lastraza's reply was calm and measured. "True. But I came out here to ask for help concerning the Scourge currently attacking the Ruby Dragonshrine." She glanced about uncomfortably. "Anyway, I want to fight the blues in other paces besides Dragonblight. Will you help?"

The last part sounded like a plead.

Emala seemed to be considering. She glanced up at the sky, then looked back at the Red, a hand on her chin.

"I suppose so," she said at last. "The infiltration mission can wait a bit longer. What would you have us do?"

"Defeat the frostwyrms for us," Lastraza replied.

Emala's eyebrows went up, for inquisitive than frightened. Pierceclaw growled and drew closer to her. Zalleen seemed to get a little pale, while I remained silent. Outwardly, I was untouched. Inwardly, I was remembering frostwyrms I had seen up close while in the Lich King's service-skeletal dragons rimed with frost and blood, with icy breath and claws like razors. I was also aware that a select few of the frostwyrms had been given a ability to let loose a screech so high it was excruciatingly painful. Fighting such beasts was going to be a very new and no doubt terrifying experience.

Skydive scratched at the snow with one claw, then lifted a hesitant gaze to Lastraza. "Frostwyrms are besieging your dragonshrine?"

"Yes," Lastraza replied. "They are a great help to the Scourge in this scenario-already they have killed many of our defenders."

"I have the cunning to take care of them one by one," Emala said, already looking thoughtful.

"And I have more flying skill than those flying skeleton hulks," Skydive boasted. "I'll have no problem with this."

"Think they would be resistant to getting frozen?" Zalleen muttered, mostly to himself from the tone of it.

Lastraza's eyes gleamed. "Very well...would you mind if I accompanied you in this endeavor?"

Emala looked up sharply. "Why?"

The red drake seemed to shrug. "I can heal you in battle. It doesn't look like you have a healer, and against those frostwyrms, you'll need one."

"That's probably all to damn true," Emala muttered, scowling darkly at the sky as though there were enemies circling them already. "You come with us, then."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

When she found that Skydive could not carry four riders, Lastraza offered to let Zalleen ride her. I thought I saw her tense as the mage jumped on, but it was gone so fast I wasn't certain. I summoned Bonesunder while Emala and Pierceclaw climbed onto Skydive.

Then we took off, Lastraza leading us swiftly toward the Ruby Dragonshrine.

The shrine soon came into view. It looked to be a crater, a red mist hanging about it. The leaves of a massive tree were just visible over the tops of the crater walls. The passes that led down into it were all swarming with Scourge forces, with the exception of one that was being blockaded by a group of Wyrmrest defenders.

Lastraza alighted just were the trees ended before a barren snowy stretch of ground then fell away into a sharp precipice after a few hundred yards. Silently, she angled her nose upward, pointing. "There they are."

Four frostwyrms flew in a precise circle around the canopy of the tree. Their skeletal bodies were stained red, and in some spots they bore the telltale white of stony frost rime. The tips of the frostwyrm's wings were tipped with cruelly hooked talons. The limp forms of red dragons could be seen on the grass of the shrine, bloodied and mangled. Their lifeblood had leaked out in pools, producing tiny patches of buds.

One frostwyrm peeled off from the others and dove at the cleft manned by the Wyrmrest defenders, directly across from us. It opened a rotting maw, filled hideously with icicle shard teeth, and screeched out it's cry. Even from our great distance, the screech caused a slight pain in my ears. I caught glimpses of the others wincing.

I could only imagine how agonizing the sound would be to the frostwyrm's current targets. Most were probably under the impression that they would die from the sound. But it wouldn't be the sound that would kill them, it would be what the beast did after.

With horrific grace, the frostwyrm glided into the pass. There was the sounds of screams and a white vapor boiled up, most likely from the creature's frost breath. The undead dragon appeared again not long after, emerging from the mist like some apparition rather than a solid embodiment of death. It was flapping mightily upward, struggling figures clasped in it's teeth and claws. A spray of arrows flew up, but looked like needles from this distance, and the projectiles clattered uselessly against the bones that formed the beast's underside.

It didn't eat the victims-the frostwyrm no longer needed the sustenance of food. Completely ignoring the arrows, it simply released them from were it was hovering.

The height was too high for the victims to survive. The beast cocked it's head, seeming to take sadistic glee in the splats it no doubt heard. Then it banked and flew back to the shrine, neatly falling back into the circle of frostwyrms.

"Damn," Zalleen muttered, shuddering slightly. "That's disturbing, mon."

"No room for mercy in their minds, I suppose," Skydive said bleakly, staring at the frostwyrms as they circled. "Can all frostwyrms make that noise?"

"Now you see why they are such a problem," Lastraza said in reply to Emala's glance. "The ground forces and some of our flying ones have already tried going to Wyrmrest for aid, but the frostwyrms followed them and wrecked havoc. I only managed to slip away because they stopped being as vigilant for just a few moments. As for that screech they make-I've heard plenty about frostwyrm encounters, and it seems that only these particular four can do it."

Emala seemed to be thinking now, mulling over what she had just been told and more. "They seem to have a system," she said quietly. "Every now and then, one breaks off and goes after the defendants in that pass. Maybe we can use that."

"How?" Zalleen asked, his confusion obvious.

Emala sighed in exasperation. "Skydive can lure them away, one by one, away from the pass. Then we kill them. We'll need to sever their neck bones for that, I suppose."

For the first time in hours, Emala addressed me, although her eyes were still averted and her tone remained icy. "Think you can handle that, Death Knight?"

"Yes," I responded shortly, rankled still by her obvious hate. Since I doubted it would make a good impression on Lastraza if we started fighting, I bit back a scathing response.

The red drake didn't seem to notice the tension, or if she did and chose to ignore it. "And what of the mage?"

"He tries to hamper them," Emala responded. "Primarily, I want their jaws frozen shut. If they do manage to let out that screech of theirs, stand strong against it-no matter how much it hurts."

"Sounds good," Zalleen said cheerfully. "Especially since Skydive's got the most dangerous part."

"Hey!" Skydive yelped accusingly.

"But you do."

"You're going with him," Emala ordered.

Zalleen paled. "Why?"

"So you can freeze the frostwyrm's mouths shut. And you two are going to start on the plan now," Emala snapped. "Skydive, sneak over to the pass. Zalleen, get on his back. _Now!_ Then wait and lure one away."

Chastised, Zalleen grudgingly climbed onto the netherwing's back. Skydive lifted off and began to fly around the edge of the crater, low enough for his feet to brush the snow beneath the canopies of the scraggly trees.

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

(third person point of view)

Thankfully the frostwyrms didn't seem at all interested in what was happening opposite of the Wyrmrest defenders. The pass and the sky still seemed to be their primary interest, although none of the frostwyrms had gone for an attack since the last one.

Skydive glanced up at the undead dragons and his throat moved in a uneasy gulp. The drake banked sharply to his right, nearly throwing Zalleen off in his haste to get into position by the end of the pass.

"Hey!" Zalleen whispered in alarm, just managing to keep his voice down. "Ya nearly threw me off there."

"Sorry," Skydive muttered back, a shudder running down his spine. "It's just...those frostwyrms are just so damn scary. Please get your timing right when they start chasing us."

Zalleen nodded in response to the netherwing drake's plea. "I freeze their jaws closed, then hold on tight as I can."

"Right," Skydive answered. Talking about the plan comforted him.

Skydive glanced upward in time to spot one of the frostwyrms peeling off from the rest and gliding toward the pass. He and Zalleen had by now reached the clear spread of snow between the end of the pass and the trees. Skydive sucked in a deep breaht and tensed, then flapped his wings powerfully once, twice, rising into the frostwyrm's sight just as it entered the pass.

The frostwyrm caught a glance of unexpected color in the edge of it's vision. Glancing upward, the undead beast's eyes narrowed when it got a good look at the netherwing drake.

Carelessly it glanced at the Wyrmrest defenders. In a sickeningly casual manner, it released icy vapor from it's rotting jaws, freezing the defenders were they stood. Then it went after the seemingly larger threat-the unknown, strange drake.

Skydive yelped in fright as the frostwyrm rose toward him, jaws already cracking open. "Zalleen!"

The mage's hands grew cold against Skydive's neck as he cast the spell. Instantly a muzzle of ice grew on the frostwyrm's jaws, thickening and becoming stronger. Then the troll threw his arms around Skydive's neck and hung on tight as the netherwing performed a dive that became a loop. The world tilted for a moment, land and sky reversing positions. Then Skydive leveled out, and both returned to their proper positions as he sped away.

Apparently, the frostwyrm wasn't immune to Zalleen's frost spells. The beast stalled in midair the instant it's jaws were frozen shut. Tossing it's head furiously, the frostwyrm let primitive rage get the better of it and continued to charge forward through the air after Zalleen and Skydive.

Glancing below him, Skydive made a split second decision that the trees could be a help. He dove sharply, shot like a arrow through the canopy, and pulled up just in time to avoid a collision by an inch. Then he skimmed the surface of the snow, adrenaline powering him to were the rest of the companions lay in wait.

Skydive's judgment worked indefinitely in his favor. His pursuer thoughtlessly plunged into the trees after him. The frostwyrm glared hatefully at the trees as branches cascaded down around it. The beast's huge body rammed into a tree trunk, and it's taloned wing tip sliced though the trunk of a thinner tree. The tree toppled over in a shower of icy leaves and cracking branches, crashing into the frostwyrm's back and knocking it from the air.

The frostwyrm skidded a few feet on the snowy ground, tearing a trench in the white sheet. Hissing within it's muzzle of ice, the frostwyrm struggled to all four legs again. It arched it's back and bucked powerfully, sending the tree flying away like the bothersome nuisance it was. Splintered branches fell in tangled bundles from it's back, head and wings.

The undead dragon peered ahead and spotted the azure blue of it's target. It didn't have any knowledge of where Skydive was from-only natural because even as the dragon it had been in life, it had never been to Outland.

The frostwyrm did know this-no matter how unusual the prey was, it was daring to incur the wrath of the hunter. Further insult had been given by the pestilence of a rider, whom had effectively muzzled the frostwyrm with his spell. Both of their carcasses would be the frostwyrm's to mutilate in vengeance.

With that tantalizing prospect in mind, the undead dragon threw all other thoughts to the wind as it blundered forth in a run, crashing through the trees heedlessly. The beast ignored the showers of splintered wood, remaining set on killing it's prey.

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

(back to Atlanta's POV)

I crouched in the snowy underbrush in the clearing, closest to the spot were the frostwyrm would first enter the ambush. The others were here, further back. A eerie hush prevailed over us, like the forest was holding it's breath.

We didn't have to wait any longer. Skydive burst into the clearing, eyes wide. He made the mistake of looking behind him, causing his right wing tip to hit a tree trunk. Startled, he part folded the wing and tumbled from the air. The drake skidded partway across the clearing, Zalleen still clinging to his neck like it was his lifeline. Despite the fall, they hadn't messed up their part of the plan.

"It's coming!" they both yelled it at the same time.

Now we didn't need the two to tell us. A momentous crashing in the undergrowth heralded the arrival of the frostwyrm as it blundered past the trees into the clearing.

For a moment it froze in place, wings partially spread. The creature's dead gaze swept swiftly across the entire space before settling on Zalleen and Skydive. Both of them stared back, wide eyed.

Then the frostwyrm broke the tenuous silence and charged.

**In this story, the frostwyrms are larger than they are in game. I just kind of feel like they should be that big.**

**Please review. I love feedback :D**

**~dharak**


	6. On to the base camp

**Disclaimer: World of Warcraft is not mine, but Blizzard Entertainment's. **

As the frostwyrm charged at Zalleen and Skydive, Emala's plan sprang to action. A hail of arcane shots from her longbow pelted the beast's bony side. The close proximity of the shot-as well as the magical infusion-did a excellent job of intensifying the damage. The beast's ribs were soon covered in black marks and showed fractures. Then Pierceclaw became visible, shedding his invisibility as the raptor agilely balanced on the frostwyrm's bony spine. He darted nimbly onto the head and snapped at the eye, then latched his jaws onto the frostwyrm's eye ridge.

His attack served the desired effect-the frostwyrm was now effectively distracted. It lashed it's bony tail, reared, and prepared to throw it's head forward to hurl Pierceclaw off.

That gave Emala the opening to shoot again, this time directly at the beast's chest. Zalleen, now standing, did the same with a blast of arcane missiles. The frostwyrm was knocked backward, toward me. This was my que.

In one swift movement I had stood and leaped at the frostwyrm. The creature had just enough wit to turn and meet me with claws spread. Pierceclaw, thrown from the beast's back by the sudden movement, and was targeted before I could make a move. The frostwyrm lashed out, opening a long cut down the raptor's side.

He screeched painfully as blood ran down his leg. Emala cried out in anger, then relief. I had already lunged at the frostwyrm, and saw from the corner of my eye that a wreath of green energy had surrounded the injured raptor.

_Healing magic. _The thought had barely been processed by my mind before I had to block a swipe of the frostwyrm's claws. The bloodstained talons grated against the edge of my runeblade. I grunted, then had to angle my body to avoid being speared through by the razor sharp tip of the frostwyrm's tail. The tail blade nearly didn't miss, and scrapped against my plate armor with a brief flare of sparks while putting a gash in my cloak.

I growled low in my throat. _Bastard beast. _I withdrew my blade, ducked as the undead dragon's claws whistled past above me, and made a powerful jab at the frostwyrm's shoulder blade. I succeeded in hitting it, causing the bone to crack and deeply fracture in one spot. Pierceclaw, recovered now, barreled into the scene just as the undead dragon raised it's claw to strike again. The red raptor gripped the foreleg in his mouth and yanked the claw away from me. A shot of blue fire rammed into the frostwyrm's side at the same moment, followed by a hail of icicles and arcane infused arrows.

The frostwyrm reared angrily, despite the damage that had been done to it. Balefully it glared at me and Pierceclaw (who was still holding on to it's foreleg) and angled it's tail blade to strike again.

I knew my chances of blocking it were awful. One of the beast's paws would come at me. Even if I dodged or blocked, would I be fast enough to avoid the tail blade? I couldn't be sure.

It turned out I didn't have to make the choice at all. There was a clap of wings and Lastraza went flying forward, scattering underbrush. The dim arctic light gleamed of the silver bracers on her forelegs. The red drake opened her mouth wide.

For a instant I thought she would breathe fire, and risk melting the ice muzzle like Skydvie nearly had-if the frostwyrm had any real intelligence, it would have taken advantage of his shot. But instead of a jet of fire, Lastraza's jaws snapped shut around the frostwyrm's tail. With a almighty twist of her neck she yanked it away from me and Pierceclaw.

The beast let out a muted growl through the ice clamping it's jaws. It turned on Lastraza and struck at her. The red drake's paw flashed out, and in one swipe knocked the blow away. Before we knew it the frostwyrm and Lastraza were trading blows. Despite his lack of skill on ground, Skydive had darted forward and begun to engage the beast too. At the same time a hail of ranged attacks battered the undead dragon.

I fixed my gaze on the bloody neck bone. That was what I needed to sever if this fight was ever to end. I ran froward, ducking past spells and arrows. I slid beneath Lastraza's half spread wing, then under the frostwyrm's ragged one. With one bound I was on it's back, scrambling along the spine before the creature had a chance to react.

I reached the shoulders and raised my runeblade. The weapon glowed white before I brought it down, attempting to sever the neck bone with a frost strike.

The impact slightly rattled my arm. The runeblade sank partway through the bone, and the frostwyrm's squeal could be heard faintly through it's muzzle.

Then a unexpected complication arose. The frostwyrm, apparently having enough of the situation, spread it's wings and with a powerful thrust took to the air. I heard startled cries from Lastraza and Skydive, then was nearly thrown from the frostwyrm's back as it went nearly vertical in flight.

Thankfully I managed to react fast enough to grasp on of the knobby protrusions on the frostwyrm's spinal column, but I was now unable to reach the neck bone.

Branched whipped past my face as the frostwyrm barreled upward. They tore at my face, forcing me to duck my head. Then the branches scratched and pinged against my helm for a few more moments before the frostwyrm broke out into open air. It banked left instantly, nearly wrenching me loose. I gritted my teeth and started to climb along it's spine when it leveled out.

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_(normal POV)_

Emala swore vehemently as the frostwyrm balked and launched into flight, taking Atlanta with her. "Fuck it! We can't let the damn thing get back to the others."

Skydive nodded mutely, still staring openmouthed. "I thought frostwyrms never gave up on their prey."

"That's what I was counting on, but apparently this one is a exception," Emala snapped back. Skydive lowered himself so that she could leap onto his back between his neck and shoulders, while Pierceclaw hopped on behind his owner.

This time Lastraza needed no order, but did as Skydive did to let Zalleen on. She lowered her wings, half spreading them. The troll mage ran past the leading spur, the silver rings adorning it gleaming in the light. Then he took the same position on Lastraza's back as Emala had on Skydive.

The two drakes took off, rising swiftly past the tops of the trees with far less noise and chaos than the larger frostwyrm. They soon came within range of it again, the undead dragon flying laboriously due to the damage it had sustained. Atlanta was visible on it's back.

The Death Knight appeared to have been attempting to climb along the creature's spine and get back to it's shoulders-and therefore, the creature's neck. She was hampered by the fact that the frostwyrm had caught on to what she was trying to do. Whenever Atlanta came within striking distance, the creature would make a sudden, abrupt drop, sharply tilt, or perform a nearly vertical rise to fly higher up. Each movement would force Atlanta to either stop and hang on, or jolt her loose and knock her back further, eliminating her progress. True to Emala's assumption, the frostwyrm was heading devotedly back toward it's brethren.

"Skydive, flank it on the left," Emala shouted over the noise of the wind. "Lastraza, take right. We need to force it to turn away from the Shrine." The hunter's face was aglow with the determination and thrill of the hunt.

Both drakes did as instructed. Skydive tucked his wings in and spun sideways, ramming into the frostwyrm's side just under the wing. The creature was momentarily sent flailing, and Lastraza had to avoid the taloned wings as they swept at her. The red drake flew in a arch beneath the frostwyrm's rib cage, then came up beside Skydive. She lashed out with spread claws, aiming at the beast's wing.

Her claws connected, tearing through the already ragged membrane. Skydive lunged forward and bit at the tear. He grasped it and pulled, expanding the tear into a sizable gap. Emala peppered the wings with arrows, creating a large number of scattered holes.

The frostwyrm teetered. It flapped it's wings, but the membrane of it's injured wing fluttered pathetically.

Atlanta sprang into action. With incredible dexterity for a plate wearing fighter, she clambered up the spine of the frostwyrm even as it fell. Then she repeated her earlier action.

This time the runeblade swept cleanly through with a clear snap. The body went limp as the detached head tore away and plunged at the ground below. Atlanta crouched briefly, then jumped.

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_(Atlanta's POV)_

As I fell, I summoned Bonesunder. He appeared swiftly, a blur of black that condensed into solid form. He flew at me, and as he passed I grabbed onto his saddle. I yanked myself fully astride my faithful mount, turning him back to rejoin the rest of the group. Behind me I heard the crashing as the unanimated form of the frostwyrm crashed through the tree canopy and landed on the ground below.

_One down, three to go. _

"We get the others now," Emala announced, mirroring my thoughts. "Then we go do what we originally came out here to do."

The rest of our side mission went rather smoothly. The rest of the frostwyrms showed none of their fellow's abrupt cowardice and predictably stayed on the ground, determined to fight us to the end. Soon enough the other three were dead, and the harried Wyrmrest forces in the past began to turn their attention to the Scourge ground troops.

There was one unexpected development. Just as we were preparing to leave for the Scourge base camp we were to infiltrate, Lastraza stopped us.

"I want to go with you," she explained, looking awkwardly at the ground like she expected to be refused.

"Why?" Emala asked abruptly. "Aren't you suppoused to be helpign defend the shrine?"

Lastraza grimaced slightly. "Not quite. I'm a roamer. I haven't really stayed in one place, just because I don't feel like I'm any help that way. I passed the Shrine and wanted to help them, so I did what I could."

"You could always go on by yourself," Emala replied dismissively.

"I don't want to," Lastraza responded. "I liked working with a group. It was less lonely...I want to keep traveling with you."

"We do still need a healer," Skydive said, ruffling his wings. He arched his back, groaned and added a few more words. "That way, there would be less walking, and I wouldn't have to carry more weight than I can endure."

Emala seemed to consider. She stared into the evening sky for a few moments, then looked back at Lastraza. "We don't have a healer, that's true...do you know how to shapeshift?"

"Yes," Lastraza responded.

"And flying is faster than walking," Emala continued. "Feel free to come with us."

Lastraza ducked her head politely.

"Yes!" Zalleen whooped loudly. "I was always wondering when we would get to fly everywhere."

Emala gave a grim smile. "I guess that's today."

**If any readers have read Adventures Abound, now you know when and how Lastraza joined the group. **

**Pls Review. I appreciate feedback, even if it's just one or two words :D**


	7. into the viper's nest Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. **

Once we came within sight of the base camp, Emala signaled a halt. Both Skydive and Lastraza went into a dive, while I directed Bonesunder to do the same. Once we had landed in Emala's selected location-a thicket of scraggly trees behind a low hill near the Scourge base camp-she began to consider the plan.

"Aright. It's going to be hard to do this, since that entire camp is full of undead bastards," Emala began in a low voice. "But, this was made slightly easier by Atlanta's...surprise encounter with us."

It occurred to me that this was the first time Emala head bothered to use my name, but I decided not to comment on it.

"What am I to do?" I said, my voice still hoarse. I usually preferred to stay silent, but this journey hadn't left me any choice but to talk more than I wished.

"Go in the entrance," Emala said flatly. " Give them false orders, that may send them away...or occupy them enough for us to silently take them out."

"Wait," Lastraza said slowly. "How are you going to take out this camp?"

A somewhat crazy grin formed on Zalleen's face. "With this, mon," he said, holding something up between both hands.

At first glance the object appeared to be a simple glass orb, about the size of a child's ball. But when I looked closer, tendrils of magic became distinct, coiling and shifting inside the orb like a next of serpents.

"It's purpose?" I asked shortly.

Skydive answered the question with vigor. "It causes a very big explosion of arcane magic," he said with relish, mimicking a explosion with his paws.

"Enough to eliminate a whole base camp," Emala finished with a savage grin.

"is it instant?" Lastraza asked cautiously, warily regarding the magical bomb.

"Detonator right here," Zalleen boasted, pointing to himself. "I was taught the spell that'll make the thing go up."

"But it needs to be hidden in the center of the base camp," Emala continued. "Dropping it from above isn't a option-that would warn the Scourge commanders it's something harmful."

"Our job's to place it there, then," I murmured.

"Correct," Emala responded grimly. "I might have considered letting you go in alone, Death Knight, but I'm not sure I fully trust you yet."

The remark sounded like a fresh accusation, although I had the feeling me and Emala were at least on neutral terms now, a far better situation than before. I had been feeling my original resolve to remain cold to Emala had been lessening, but I still wasn't quite sure about becoming friends again.

Apparently Emala felt the same. After a moment's silence she continued. "I'd like to have Zalleen stay here for to trigger the bomb, but he'll need some kind of signal. And I'm not quite sure I have one in mind yet."

"A flare?" Skydive suggested tentatively.

"Too obvious," Emala replied snappily. Then she paused, a gleam growing in her eye. "On the other hand, maybe something related to a flare would work...but on a smaller scale."

Skydive had gained a uncomprehending look. He glanced from side to side, as if he expected further explanation of Emala's idea from someone else.

"Explain?" he prompted when he was still only greeted by silence.

Emala grinned. "Not a flare...but something else."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx_

Decision for a signal made, it was now time to get on with the mission. As Emala adamantly enforced, I was the first stage.

I walked up to the entrance of the Scourge base camp. The cool arctic wind blew toward me, the fresh smell of snow obscured by the faint scent of rotting flesh originating from the undead in the camp. My cloak fluttered behind me, the hood pulled up. I had my runeblade drawn, though, and head held high. This way, the hope was I would be recognized as a Death Knight, but not the one that had betrayed the Lich King and to further extent, the Scourge.

The two guards, a pair of raised Vyrkul skeletons, noticed me soon enough. They crossed their spears and barred my entrance. I stopped before them, initiating face of contempt.

"State your business, Death Knight," one of the two vyrkuls stated in his grating voice.

Good, so that part had worked out. Now came the trickier part.

"I'm here for a examination." I couldn't go back on the lie now. "You two are to leave your post and tell the commander of this camp."

The vyrkul skeletons stared at me. It was hard to see any feelings in their eyes, but from the way their spears stayed firmly locked, they didn't seem to believe me.

I went with the next option. "You either do as ordered, or I tell the Lich King this outpost is a failure. And I'll make sure that two specific vryrkul skeletons will be blamed for it."

I had finally gotten to them. I could tell by the shiver than ran through the bony bodies, the slight widening of the eye.

"Very well. We will go sir," they both intoned. Letting the spears down, the two undead guards hurried off.

"Good, they've left," Emala said, coming up the road with the rest of the group, minus Zalleen, behind her. Both drakes had shape shifted into blood elven forms. Pierceclaw, still covered in grime from the earlier battles, was growling at the Scourge outpost.

I cocked an eyebrow. "True. But you know what the risk is now?"

"That whether we killed the sentries or they were ordered away, the camp will be alerted to intruders within the hour," Emala concluded grimly, shouldering her bow.

"So they'll be looking for us?" Skydive asked, a note of fear tremoring in his voice. "then why can't I stay back with Zalleen?"

"Because if we need to fight, you help will be needed," Lastraza responded, beating Emala to the explanation.

"Very true," Emala responded, gazing ahead. "And now, we head into the viper's nest."

**I know this is really short, but it hasn't been updated for a long time...and school has started. I've already been busy with homework. **

**Still, since my high school doesn't give mountains of it, the next ch will be of longer length and make up for this, though. **

**Pls review :D**


	8. into the viper's nest Part 2

We were soon through the entrance to the base camp. Keeping close to the walls of the ragged tents, we managed to stay out of eyesight, at least for the most part. A few times I had to step out and send the Scourge minions in another direction, mostly by giving them false orders. I couldn't think of any other lie to convince them.

Thankfully for us, these encounters were few and far in between. But we were all very aware that the danger was slowly rising. We were in the viper's nest, and the nest was slowly being alerted.

We had nearly made it to the center of the base camp when Emala raised a hand. Voices began to meet our ears. Skydive peered quickly into a tent, then gestured to enter it even as he did just that. Emala and Lastraza ducked in after him, and I swiftly followed.

We huddled by the stacks of crates and weapons in the supply tent, weapons ready. The rest of the group seemed to be barely breathing from the tension. No longer in need of breathing myself, I stayed still as stone, my hand on the hilt of my runelade.

The voices soon came into focus. One was harsh, and obviously angry from the raised tone of voice. "Damn guards! Babbling about 'inspections,' and orders to do this or that. I'm the only one who gives orders around here. Worthless fools, I should just use them for cannon fodder."

Done with his tirade, the bearer of the voice snorted disdainfully and grunted. There was a jingling, either from buckles or weapons, more than likely both.

A more quiet voice took up the job of speaking. Not only was it quieter, it was calmer, too. "Don't forget we are joint commanders here, General Hiarth."

Hiarth grunted dismissively. "You're a tactic's officer. I don't see that as a position of command."

"Because you only think with your head!" the other voice snapped in response, obviously insulted. Then he regained his calm tone. "Even you should be able to see that something is wrong here. The question is...who fooled the guards? I believe we have pests."

For a tense moment, we waited for the speaker of the sentence to enter the supply tent and try to capture us. We were saved by his next comment. "Whatever we do, it starts at the command tent."

"Then let's go deal with your imaginary pests," then Hiarth grunted as they walked off, one pair of steps heavy and boisterous and the other making significantly less noise. He said the sentence with heavy sarcasm, obviously showing he didn't believe his partner. "If it'll stop your annoying theories."

Once the two arguing comrades were completely out of hearing range, Emala sidled up beside me with a soft rustle from her cloak. Her green eyes seemed much darker in the shadow of the tent, worry riddled all over her face.

"They're starting to catch onto us," she breathed the words so quietly I had to lean in closer to hear them, even as Skydive and Lastraza did the same. "We need to hurry."

**Normal POV**

Zalleen was bored.

It hadn't quite started out that way. The mage had enjoyed watching Atlanta's performance for the Scourge guards from his spot on the rise. Now, though, his companions were out of sight and until the signal came, all Zalleen could watch was the sky. He almost wished that he could have gone with them, but that had been pretty much impossible from the start.

The mage had fallen into a daze, blank eyes watching the monotone blue sky, when a series of sharp cracks came from behind him.

Zalleen's back and shoulders tensed as he gripped his staff harder. His eyes were torn from the sky as he nervously scanned his surroundings to the best of his ability while keeping completely still, crouched among the brush.

The series of cracks came again. A hot expulsion of air and heavy threading of large feet now met Zalleen's senses, much closer than he would have liked.

The young mage wasn't a seasoned fighter for nothing. When he heard the pace of the beast behind him increase, he cast a blink spell. After reappearing a save distance behind his attacker, he readied his staff and took a good look at it.

He almost wished he hadn't. The beast that was now making a clumsy turn to face him again wasn't a pretty sight. In fact it was one of the ugliest he had ever seen.

The attacker was a bear-or rather, a undead creature that resembled a bear. But bears typically didn't have a lashing reptilian tail, or feet that resembled the large paws of a drake.

Zalleen whistled. "Those necromancers are getting more creative, are they?"

Instead of responding (not that Zalleen had expected it to,) the bear pawed the ground and then leaped into the air, dagger claws gleaming in the arctic light.

Reacting far faster than the abomination had expected, Zalleen sidestepped and then said words in the language of magic. The snow under the undead's paws became solid ice, and the heavy frame of the hybrid bear was sent skidding as the long claws scrambled uselessly for purchase.

The mage took the brief respite to do some thinking. He felt fairly certain that the creature's appearance here was coincidental. He could see no other Scourge anywhere but the camp, and the base camp still looked as normal as a camp of undead could. Zalleen reasoned, therefore, that the undead hybrid had escaped from some necromancer and roamed through the wild until it ended up here-unfortunately for Zalleen.

The thing didn't give Zalleen any more time to ponder. It lashed it's reptilian tail and charged again.

**Atlanta's Pov**

We had made it even closer to the middle of the camp within the last hour, and the base camp was obviously starting to act on the wishes of it's commanders. Groups of skeletons and undead vyrkul were roaming constantly through the narrow lanes between the dark tents. We had managed to avoid detection for some time, but things were due to get more complicated.

I was proven right. We turned a corner and were instantly set upon by two undead vyrkul. Both opened their mouths to shout, only for one of them to choke and fall as a flaming arrow streaked into his throat from Emala's bow. I slashed the other to ribbons, but not before he managed to raise his voice in a ringing cry.

Emala was fast to asses the situation. "Out of sight!" she hissed. We bolted in pairs of two and entered tents on the opposite sides of the lane. The dull thuds of numerous feet sounded outside, and scuffling and voices permeated the air. None were those of Hiarth or his comrade, but they still caused me to raise my blade slightly higher. Next to me, Skydive's hands twitched as neon blue flames flickered along his fingers. I noted that his fingernails had become black and talonlike.

"We should search the tents."

The instant the suggestion was uttered a chorus of agreeing grunts were uttered in response. The flap of our tent was swept aside and I instinctively lashed out with my runeblade. The severed head of a undead vyrkul tumbled to the ground as I blocked a sword blade.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few of the undead shrieking as their dry flesh was consumed by neon blue fire. I caught the flash of black claws as Skydive tore through the decomposed membrane of the undead's shoulders and legs, causing severed limbs to fall.

I pushed back harder against the sword blade of the vyrkul zombie. He snarled and removed his blade, raising it high as if preparing for a swing. My runeblade glowed white as I cut him in half with a frost strike, then rammed the point into his skull. He fell, and I turned my attention to the next Scourge. Thankfully, it appeared that we only had five left to deal with, and from the sounds resounding from the tent opposite of us, I imagined that Lastraza and Emala had a similar amount.

I had just deflected a strike when I heard a muffled yelp from beside me. Then I was brushed sideways as Skydive shifted to his true form, taking up the entire middle of the tent.

Twisting my neck to see what had prompted it, I was able to spot vyrkul clinging to the netherwing drake's neck, back, and his tail and forelegs. They must have dog-piled him, and he had shifted in hopes of throwing them off. Those that still clung to his form like bugs were soon either torched by his fire or knocked off by a wing or tail. He proceeded to claw some and decapitate them, while I spun and dealt with three at once. I turned and parried a strike from another sword, then raised a hoof and kicked the vyrkul's kneecap. The brittle bone caved, and he toppled to the ground facedown. I stabbed him through the neck instantly, making sure to sever it. The reanimated body shuddered and went limp.

Both of us just stood there for a moment. Skydive was breathing a little hard, and if I had still been in possession of a functioning heart it would have been racing now.

The sound of more footsteps nearly caused us to go on the offensive again, but when we heard Emala's hurried whisper we both stopped bristling. "We need to move. Come on!"

Me and Skydive obeyed her without question.

"The advantage of surprise is gone," I said this in a very factual tone. Hand instinctively tightening on the handle of my runeblade.

"They know of us now, indeed," Emala murmured. "The sounds of battle will have alerted them. The only good news-we're more or less were we need to be."

Peering ahead, I saw what she meant. The raised platform was exactly like what could be found at most Scourge invasion points. It was no doubt right in the center of the base camp. It looked deserted, possibly from the camp's inhabitants all searching for intruders-but we soon found that the appearance was deceiving.

We reached the steps and were just bracing to run up them when a horn sounded. It was held in the large hand of a burly vyrkul, this one alive rather than undead. Leather strips encircled his arms, and the vyrkul wore battered plate armor. A wickedly serrated, double edged battle axe was grasped in the hand that wasn't holding the horn. His cold eyes roamed our group, briefly settling on me. From the savage smile he gained as the barbarian lowered the horn, I felt certain that this was Hiarth.

Beside him was a necromancer, in the same stereotypical getup that one would expect of the raiser of the dead. The intense cruel humor in his eyes, though, was a unusual characteristic that instantly made me wary.

"Well, Hiarth?" the necromancer seemed to be reveling in the fact he was right, as his tone was infused with gloating and the expression one of mocking. "What do you think of my 'pests,' now?"

Hiarth grunted and directed a grudging look at his companion. "Seems you were right for once, Telsyn."

there was the sounds of running feet from all around us. A ring of some thirty Scourge forces had encircled us, shrieking in ghastly excitement.

Telsyn smiled smugly. "You can surrender, and die...including you, traitor Death Knight. Or you could die outright. I give you the choice."

Emala snorted and sent him a mocking smile. "How about we pick the third option...we do what we came to do, and don't die."

"Afraid that isn't a option," Hiarth growled. He raised a arm and gestured at us, even while hefting his battle axe. "We'll have to enforce the second choice."

**Review pls! I like feedback :D**

**~dharak**


	9. challenge in the viper's nest

**I don't own World of Warcraft. **

Zalleen didn't know that his friends had fallen prey to a nefarious ambush-but at the moment he didn't spare any thoughts to ponder their dangers. He had his own problem, a snorting, growling, stinking undead heap of a problem.

The undead hybrid barked out a harsh growl and charged again. Rather than evading, Zalleen went with the first option that came to mind. A pyroblast spell went flying from his staff, the runes adorning it pulsing the same color as the fire.

The crackling fireball hit the undead squarely in the chest. It uttered a ghastly yelp and flinched back, then with a furious roar dashed forward faster than the mage had even thought possible. Instinctively he raised his staff, and the bear's heavy paws rammed against the magically enforced wood. The mage wrinkled his nose in disgust as the smell of burned fur drifted through the air, then channeled arcane energy into his staff.

The item glowed a searing blue, but as the wielder Zalleen felt no pain, just a dull tingle. With the hybrid it was another story. The thing screeched as the staff burned it, and it fell away. Dazed and confused by the pain in it's paws, it stumbled close to the edge of the rise.

"It's been fun, mon," Zalleen muttered as the bear snorted and prepared to charge again. "But I have a signal to watch for."

The young troll aimed another pyroblast, firing this one at the hybrid's feet. The undead tried to move, but lumbered sloppily from the burned paws. It fell off the rise with a sharp hiss and a howl.

The howl turned to one of terror as the fire from the spell started to consume it. There was a sickening smack as the beast hit the ground. Unable to resist, Zalleen ran over and peered over the ridge. What he saw was a hunk of flesh that twitched convulsively as the flames consumed it, then lay still. The fire flickered away as it ran out of fuel and the dampening snow started to do it's work.

The mage glanced at the gates of the base camp, worried Scourge could have seen the flaming creature. He momentarily sighed in relief when none came, but then tensed all over again. Peering into the distance toward the center of the camp, he thought he could see the shine of thousands of steel blades. Carried on the wind came the clash of metal against metal, and twisted battle cries.

"Damn fuckit," Zalleen muttered. "They must've been caught."

The redheaded mage sat back on his heels and began to ponder his next course of action, albeit frantically due to the suspicion that the rest of the companions could be a incredibly dire situation. He wanted to go help them, but Zalleen also had to be on the ridge to detonate the bomb when the signal came. If he left and everyone died, he had no doubt Emala's last act would be to finish him off as he was dying in the most painful way possible.

_Ooookay...that might a little drastic, _Zalleen thought, grimacing even as the image of the livid hunter raising a knife over his chest flashed into mind. _But she'd still do something, and be damn unhappy._

Then Zalleen got a marvelous idea. Slowly he grinned, a ecstatic smile that some could mistake as crazy.

"I can portal, after all."

But a simple portal wasn't all that was included in Zalleen's plan.

**Atlanta's POV**

My grip tightened on the runeblade hilt, even as the crowd of Scourge surged forward. But none of them were going for me-obviously Hiarth intended to eradicate the traitor death knight himself.

The living vyrkul approached slowly and leisurely, but not with a hint of sluggishness or ineptitude. His eyes gleamed black under a scratched, dented helm that was smeared with what looked to be old blood.

"I'll be greatly rewarded for this," he said in a low, throaty growl.

"Assuming you actually manage to," I replied mockingly.

Hiarth roared in a futy and raised the axe.

Even as I raised my own weapon to meet him.

The vyrkul charged, and I ran at him as well. He raised his axe and brought it down in a powerful cleave, only for me to block it with the flat of my runeblade. There were sparks as I withdrew my weapon and ducked under Hiarth's guard. I swung my own weapon, the engraved blade glowing with blue light.

My strike cut a long wound in Hiarth's chest. He roared and brought his axe down at my head in a blinding swipe. The axe head clanged against my helm, disorienting me. The vyrkul general took the chance to try and behead me.

Luckily I still had enough wits about me to avoid the worst of the blow. Instead of my neck, I felt the axe blade open a cut on my cheek. There was very little blood, seeing as how I really didn't have much of it anymore, but the near miss was enough to make me wary.

I raised my runeblade and a blast of wind and hail roared from it. Hiarth spluttered and growled as the hail shards opened small cuts all over his arms, while he instinctively blocked his face. I blacked swiftly away from the vyrkul general, keeping my eye on him al the while.

Hiarth lowered his arms, streaked with gashes and blood trials that almost seemed like a maze of open veins against the brown skin. His livid, creased face was both a encouragement and a demoralization.

"You're dead a second time!" he bellowed.

I rewarded him with a chilling smile and raised my runeblade. "Just try, bastard."

**Emala's pov**

I stood calmly in place, measured gaze sweeping the area around me.

Not that there was much variation or scenery to behold. Identical undead ringed me and Pierceclaw, and only the monotone gray tops of the tents and blank sky could be seen past them. My fingers twitched in anticipation, closing around my bow. I could hear the low rumble of Pierceclaw's growl as his vocal cords thrummed to produce the noise.

The horde of undead vyrkul charged, closing in on us like a collapsing wave. I had shot several of them with flaming arrows almost instantly, but those that fell hardly seemed to lessen the numbers.

Soon the undead vyrkul giants had surrounded us. Pierceclaw was slashing and biting, and had managed to focus a fair amount of their attention on him. I took turns shooting his besiegers dead, keeping Pierceclaw from getting overrun, and using one of my swords to deal with the vyrkul that devotedly tried to come at me. The impact jarred my arm, nearly causing it to buckle. I withdrew it and jumped over the vyrkul's ungainly polearm.

The heavy weapon sank into the trampled snow. The undead moved to pick it up, but as I fell back from the apex of my jump, I deliberately landed on the polearm.

The wooden shaft cracked under my hard hooves. _Fuck! I was hoping it would shatter. _

The vyrkul yanked his weapon from under me, causing a brief scramble on my part to keep my footing. I wound up in a sort of halfcrouch, then ducked as a heavy blade cut though the air above my head.

I was just starting to think of a way to fight in this outnumbered situation when a blast of blue fire took care of the polearm wielding vyrkul. His undead skin caught fire and burned vigorously, turning him into a flaming blue torch. Taking advantage of the opening, I took up my bow and whipped around, letting a explosive arrow fly. It buried itself in the chest of the vyrkul with the sword, and he began to falter, burning similar to his ally.

As both undead crumbled to heaps of burning flesh, I waved away the acrid smell of burning skin and gave Skydive a critical look. "You could have turned up sooner."

Skydive grinned cockily, his wings half spread and crouched in a fire breathing stance. "It took me a bit to locate you..."

"Or you were thinking of flying."

"Well...maybe. But not about flying away!"

The argument was cut short when I saw the necromancer behind the netherwing, aiming a shadow bolt. "Duck!"

Startled, Skydive did as I asked. With wonderful precision, I loosened my bowstring, and my arcane shot hit home in Telsyn's chest – or would have hit home, if he hadn't moved his shoulder into the arrow's path.

"Bastard!" I spat at him, unable to bridle my tongue as my annoyance mounted. "Get out of the way."

Telsyn grinned sinisterly in response, while Skydive backed away from him and back towards me. Realizing that the vyrkul could be creeping up on us, I glanced around nervously.

I was greeted with Lastraza strafing the undead forces in bright orange flame. In the wake of her fiery destruction, only about half of the forces were left. Despite that, the numbers were still much more in the enemy's favor. Especially when they started to fire ranged weapons at her. Lacking fancy flying skills, the red drake instead chose to land and start savaging them with claws and teeth.

The necromancer before us chuckled darkly, and arrogantly. Both actions snapped my attention and directed a heated glare back onto him.

"The red drake will run out of fire, and so will the strange one right next to you. Your traitor Death Knight friend will more than likely end up defeated." Telsyn's red eyes glowed through his bone mask. "Might as well just lie down and die..."

My response was slow and deliberate, spoken through gritted teeth. "Never in your fucking dreams."

"Very well," the necromancer responded in a monotone voice, raising his hands. The aura of shadow magic grew around them, looking like dark flames. "Then I will decide your very painful ends."

**short, I know, but I've been busy. This is the second to last chapter anyway, at least I think it will be. **

**Read and review, tell me what you think (you can review if you have no account on the site) :D**


	10. end game

**Disclaimer: I don't own WoW, but I do own my OC's.**

**Atlanta's POV**

The rhythmic clashes of our blades all but obscured my hearing, blocking out the noises of the other Scourge forces as they writhed and detoured around me and Hiarth to engage in other battles. The ugly screech of the vyrkul general's axe sounded as I blocked the blade with a swift diagonal block. Grimly, I disengaged and continued to fight.

It was a tempo, almost pendulum like rhythm. Hiarth swung, I blocked, I swung, he blocked. It was a oddly cold, emotionless battle, in sharp contrast to the initial, angry feel of the fight.

Not that I minded-it only made things better for me. _Cold detachment from emotions just works sometimes,_ I thought dazedly, even as I blocked another strike with a single swipe of my runeblade. Then I brought it back down and stabbed at Hiarth's chest. He bared yellowed teeth and knocked the weapon away.

I gave him a surly glare. "Just stay still."

"No," Hiarth responded, his eyes narrowed maliciously. "Why do that, when it would be more worthwhile to skewer you?"

there were no words after that. Our blades met in lightning fast strikes, the sounds of the blade's clanging lost in the din of noise surrounding us.

**Emala's POV**

Have I mentioned how much Telsyn ticked me off?

Probably have.

Anyway, damn bastard didn't waste any time. He threw a spray of several shadow bolts at us, and I dived right while Skydive went instantly airborne. I ducked one bolt, then jumped, landed, and rolled. Coming back upright in one smooth movement, I notched and aimed a explosive arrow, letting it fly.

This time the necromancer wasn't fast enough. The projectile struck the ground by his feet, causing a eruption of steam and melted snow. Amid Telsyn's angry yells, I glanced about for Skydive. To my irritation I saw him swerving around the fading shadow bolts then yelp when one grazed his tail.

"Stop wasting time!" I shouted wildly. "Flame at him!"

Skydive shot me a brief look of reproach, then settled into a steady glide. His jaws cracked open, and a streak of neon blue fire shot at Telsyn. There was a cry of anger and pain as if made contact, then the faint green outline of the necromancer's hands glowing.

It didn't take long to figure out just what was happening. More undead erupted from the ground in showers of dirt and snow. Two had me pinned facedown before I could react, holding both my arms.

I snorted snow and dirt out of my nose, drew in a breath and let out a whistle. There were two heavy thuds as Pierceclaw sailed over my head, his hind feet ramming into the chests of my assailants. I scrambled to my feet and then scooped my bow up.

Pierceclaw had gutted the two undead with his hind claws. He bit another on the arm and used the undead's momentum to fling it onto it's back. I wasted no time shooting it, then spun in place, letting a spray of flaming arrows fly at the ring of newly raised undead. To my grim satisfaction, the attacks were wonderfully effective.

Even so, Telsyn didn't seem keen on letting us go. I felt skeletal hands claw and grasp my ankles. Even as I stomped and kicked to crush the fragile bones, I had to duck to avoid the necromancer's shadow bolt.

_Why can't a damn thing ever go as planned? _The seething thought had barely registered when I heard the last voice I had expected to hear.

"Need help, mon?"

I just barely got over my shock in time to lean out of the path of a shadow bolt. Astounded (in a bad way) I craned my neck and peered up in the direction of the mage's voice. He was hovering above me on his windrider, holding onto the creature's mane with one hand. The wide grin on his face seemed very elated, and also maniacal.

"What the hell are you _doing_ here?"

"Ahhh, saving you guys?"

"And how, pray tell, are you accomplishing that?" my irritation could probably be felt, it was so strong. "As I recall, I told you to-"

My sentence wasn't finished. Before I cold react, the windrider had latched it's jaws onto the back of my leather vest and hauled me into the air. I yelped, flailing briefly, then stared daggers up at the beast's rider as it circled higher on the batlike wings, weaving past shadow bolts.

"I began thinking, mon," Zalleen had to shout to be heard. "Fire's a undead's worst enemy, right? So I send down a rain of pyroblasts, and wham! Distraction, while Lastraza nabs Atlanta, and we get away through a portal. Blam! No more camp."

"As insane as that sounds..." I paused, mentally seething at how Zalleen could have actually managed to formulate a plan that could work-if barely. "You're obviously crazy, but we don't have any other choice," I amended with a sigh.

Zalleen's sharp toothed grin made me sorry I had agreed. Wallowing in his obvious joy, he directed the windrider near Skydive. Then he tugged on his mount's mane, and dropped me square onto Skydive's back.

He choked briefly on his own fire as a result. "What-"

"New plan," I interrupted. I whistled, and Pierceclaw came running over. Skydive grabbed hold of my pet in his front paws."Follow Zalleen's lead."

"_Zalleen's?"_

"I know," I grumbled. "I can't believe I just said that either."

**Atlanta's POV**

The ring of steel sounded for the fourth time in the last few seconds. At the edge of my hearing I could hear a brief commotion from Emala's direction, but I didn't relize what it had been until a frostfire bolt flew at Hiarth from above.

The spell hit the side of his face, and the vyrkul staggered backward briefly, swearing. As he moved to wipe at his cheek and brow, I was snatched up by two powerful paws as the ground dropped away below me.

Thinking at first that some undead creature had snagged me, I started to struggle. Then I recognized the voice of my would be abductor. "Stop struggling! We need to get away from here."

"Lastraza?" My confusion was obviously prevalent. "Why did you.."

"We're following one of Zalleen's ideas."

"I get the feeling I shouldn't be very exited about that..."

I looked to my left when a flare of fiery light made itself known. A patch of snowy mush and burning undead was there, being circled by a ecstatic Zalleen on his windrider. "Damn right!" he boasted. "Who rules? Me!"

"Stop bragging!" Emala's sharp voice made itself known as I climbed up between Lastraza's wings and shoulders, and the red drake joined Skydive and Emala where they were circling with Zalleen. "Get about with the next phase of your idea!"

"Sure thing, mon," Zalleen rubbed his hands together with a cocky grin. "Portal to Dalaran, here we go."

The mage spoke a few choice words of magic, and a glowing oval of light appeared a few feet from us. The fuzzy image of Dalaran's spires could be seen through it. As Skydive flew toward it, however, a shadow bolt rocketed up from below.

Startled, Skydive wasn't readily prepared. He pitched into a steep barrel roll, just missing the portal, and Emala lost her grip on his neck. We were forty feet above the ground-too high for a good survival chance.

There wasn't much time for me to take action, and with his front paws full Skydive couldn't recover and reach Emala in time. I still don't remember exactly how I pulled off the rescue. I do have a faint memory of slipping from Lastraza's back, grabbing her foreleg in one hand and Emala's arm in the other.

With a curse, I felt my hand sliding on Lastraza's smoothly scaled foreleg. Then I felt both her front paws grasp my arm and tighten on it, while Emala secured a firm grip on my other arm.

Then Lastraza flapped powerfully, soaring though the portal. In the brief instant before it engulfed us, I stared into Emala's wide eyes. Their dark green depths were hard to read, but shock was fairly evident.

I smiled, as did she. Something mended itself-our friendship, or maybe our spirits. Perhaps both. The boom of the magical bomb going off barely registered in my hearing.

_We accomplished the mission, _I thought hazily, my mind to occupied by the events of the last few seconds for our success to cause any real feeling of elation.

Then the purple portal light came and passed. We all hit the marble ground of Dalaran in a heap. All of us had to take a moment to reorient our senses from the slight portal lag. Judging from the lack of activity, we seemed to be on the outskirts of the floating mage city. Both the drakes were on the bottom of the heap, Skydive lying atop Lastraza. Said red drake let out a prolonged groan.

"Get off, please?"

"I concur," Zalleen wheezed, vainly attempting to move Skydive's heavy head from his chest. Noticing his friend's struggles, Skydive let out a awkward chuckle and rose to all four feet. Zalleen looped a arm around his neck and hauled himself up, gasping with a hand thumping his chest. "I need more air," he said with a cough, while Lastraza peered at him worriedly, healer's instincts kicking in.

"Take all the time you need." Emala's tone was low and dull. "I want to talk with Atlanta alone, anyway."

I cocked an eyebrow and followed her some distance from the others. We stood facing one another.

For a few moments nothing but a awkward silence was present. We both had things to say, but couldn't seem to form the thoughts into real words. Emala was biting her lip, rubbing her scarred arm. I watched, arms crossed protectively over my chest. I tried not to let my confusion show, but I was fairly sure I didn't achieve that.

"I'm sorry."

Of all the things I had expected to hear, that wasn't one of them. Thunderstruck, I couldn't form a competent reply for a few seconds. I knew how proud Emala was-apologies took a lot of effort for her to vend out.

"Sorry?" I repeated in a kind of daze.

"Yes," Emala replied with a sad sigh, dropping her shoulders. "I messed up all that time ago, driving you away with that stupid fight. And then the way you fought beside us in the Scourge camp, and caught me when I was falling...basically I'm trying to say-"

"That you were a idiot?" I finished with a small smile. "The blame isn't entirely yours. I'm just as responsible."

Emala blinked back at me, for once completely without a response. Before she could stop me, I caught her in a tight hug. She hesitantly moved to hug back, and then allowed her arms to pull me into a full hug.

"I'd like you to come with us," she said bluntly. "There's no other way to put it. I've missed you, and we need more people in this merry little band anyway."

I chuckled quietly. Some things never changed, like how Emala chose blunt words rather than delicate ones. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Skydive and Zalleen laughing about something, with a exaspared Lastraza watching them. I couldn't hold back a faint smile, feeling a stirring of warmth for the first time in what felt like years.

"Of course I'll come. I wouldn't leave a old friend in the lurch."

**And that's the last ch. Thx to everone who faved, alerted, and reviewed. I really appreciate it. Sry update took so long (damn you school!). I'll be doing another fic, titled _Adventures Abound: Into the Mists_,next. It's planned to be a fic where two chaps will make a kind of mini story on it's own, and so on so forth, rather than a fic with a singular plot. The story will chronicle the group's journeys in Pandaria. It should be updated faster because of this.**

**Since it happens after _Adventures Abound_, it will feature two characters that joined the group in the Cataclysm and during the course of the story. It isn't necessary to read _Adventures abound_ to understand the sequel. But feel free to drop by it and leave a review :)**

**Read and review :D**


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